Linkedin and Facebook are two of the most popular and widely-used social platforms used today. You will often see posts shared between the two, and it is easy to press a button to have your thoughts, photos, experiences and opinions displayed simultaneously across these and other social media sites.

But cross-pollination of the two are not necessarily a good thing for your career. If you just want to keep up with high school or college friends, Facebook is your game. Bragging about your bowling team or golf game is harmless. Posting pictures of your kids or new puppy won't damage your chances of getting a new position or being promoted. However, mixing your professional information and personal life on both Facebook and Linkedin can cause confusion, and even damage to you professionally.

Branding Yourself

You are your brand. How you are perceived by others is your brand. Unfortunately, these two statements may not always be the same thing. Keeping your professional image professional is imperative if you want to be taken seriously. Cesar DR Vieira, British digital marketing expert, advises keeping your audiences separate when using Linkedin and Facebook. He is adamant that they are not the same thing

Your brand, professional reputation and career will suffer if the image of competence and industriousness you want to project is contaminated by a photograph of you acting like a sophomore on spring break or saying something politically obnoxious across all your social media accounts.

Keep it Dignified

You wouldn't wear business attire to a pool party and you shouldn't be casual, chatty or overly personal on Linkedin. These are two separate audiences and should be treated as such. In marketing a product, service or yourself, how people see you is how they will behave toward you. Customers and clients will be attracted to a professional demeanor, in person or online.

Business Networking

Do not use FB and Linkedin interchangeably. If you are concerned about your career, then Linkedin is a tremendous resource for networking. You can reach vastly more people than you could in person and recruiters spend time scouting for talent there. Just remember that you never know who is going to see you, so present yourself in the best possible light.

For valuable information on this and related topics, visit the Career Advice or LinkedIn section of our blog.

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